Lubricating-axle.



No. 792,838. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

0. G. MOON.

LUBRIGATIN G AXLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1904.

030a? 61/710070, ammsz,

WWW. 4%

A UNITED i STATES Patented J'une 20, 1905.

PATENT Orrica.

OSCAR O. MOON, OF OONNELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO AUGUST ,STIOKEL, JR, OF OONNELLSVILLE, PENN- SYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,838, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed November 25. 1904. Serial No. 234,273-

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, OsoAR (1. Moon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oonnellsville, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Lubricating-Axle, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements inlubricating-axles.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of lubricating-axles for carriages, wagons, and analogous vehicles, and to increase the strength, durability, and efficiency of such devices, and to provide a simple and inexpensive lubricating-axle ad apted to enable either oil or grease to be employed as a lubricant and capable of positively feeding the same to. the spindle and of effectually preventing the lubricant from leaking or otherwise wasting. A further object of the invention is to provide a lubricating-axle of this character which may be quickly operated for feeding a quantity of lubricant to the spindle and which will not be materially weakened by the passages for conducting the lubricant to the spindle.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the operating device from being affected by the jar and vibration incident to the motion of a vehicle, so thatthere will be no liability of the parts becoming lost or the lubricant being accidentally fed to the axle.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed outin the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one end of a front lubricating-axle provided with a device constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a portion of a rear lubricating-axle. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the engaging end of the locking-spring.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates an axle provided with a longitudinal bore or passage 2, extending outward from the bottom of the axle to a point ashort distance beyond the inner end of the spindle 3 and having an outer vertical branch or passage 4: communicating with the groove 5, which is of the usual construction and which extends longitudinally of the upper face of the spindle for holding a quantity of the lubricant. The axle is provided at the inner end of the longitudinal passage 2 with a vertical bore or passage 6, extending to the upper face of the body of the axle and communicating with a vertical opening of the axle bed or tree7. The axle bed or tree 7 is provided at its opening with a metallic lining or tube 8, which preferably extends slightly into the upper end of the bore or passage 6 of the body of the axle to provide a tight joint for preventing any escape of the lubricant. The passages are bored into the axle before the spindle is welded to the body, and as the passages for feeding the lubricant are formed in the body portion of the axle at the collar or enlargement of the spindle and extend only a short distance along the latter the axle is not materially weakened and will last as long as an ordinary axle.

The tube or lining 8 may be threaded for engaging the axle-bed, or it may be secured in the opening thereof in any other desired manner, and its upper end receives a depending nipple 9 of an oil-cup 10, which is mounted upon the axle, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The cup for the reception of the oil or other lubricant is provided with integral clips 11, composed of front and rear sides arranged at the front and rear faces of the axle 1 and connected at the lower face thereof by clip-plates 12. The lower ends 13 of the sides of the clips are threaded for the reception of nuts 14:, which engage the clipplates in the usual manner. In Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawings the cup is shown applied to a front axle and is provided with a pair of clips the front sides of which are enlarged and provided with openings to form ears 15. The cars are adapted to constitute a portion or member of a thill-coupling and are' designed to receive a pivot for connecting a shaft or thill iron to them in the ordinary manner. In Fig. 4 of the drawings is illustrated an oil-cup having a single clip 16 for engaging a rear axle 17. By this construction the oil-cup is applied to an axle by the fastening means usually employed for securing the body of the axle to the axle bed or tree and additional fastening devices are dispensed with.

The lower face of the bottom of the cup is concaved to conform to the configuration of the upper face of the axle bed or tree, and the depending nipple, which projects from the concavedi face, may be either formed integral with the oil-cup or consist of a tube threaded into an opening of the bottom. of the oi-l -cu-p. The nipple projects into the opening or passage of the axle-bed and communicates with and discharges the lubricant into the feed" or supply passage of the axle. The oil-cup is provided with exterior screw-threads 18, and it is engaged by anin teriorly-threaded ca=p=1'9',

the screw-threads being sufficiently fine to afford an air-tight joint or connection: whenthe parts are assembled to prevent the lubricant from leaking through: the outlet of thebottom. The cap is provided with an. exteriorly-milled flange 20' for enablingitito-be readily rotated, and it is provided with a cylindrical block or plunger 21, fitting snugly within the bottom'of the oil-cup and adapted when the cap is screwed downward to force-a quantity of the lubricant out of the oil-cup through the feed-passage of the axle for lubrieating the spindle. or plunger is connected to the top of the: cap, by a screw 22, which is suitably secured in! the threaded aperture of the upper'end of the block or plunger and which engages a socket of the top of the cap. The cap is provided with: a stud or projection 23, extending from thecenter of the top of the cap and having a portion of the socket formed in it. creases the thickness of the cap at this point for enabling a socket of the desired length to be provided, and it isadapted alsoto be en:- gaged bya locking-spring 24 topreventthecap from accidentally rotating, as hereinafter explained. The block or plunger is provided atits-lower face with indentations or sockets 25, adapted to receive a suitable tool or in:-

strument for enabling it to be rotated for as i sembling or separating the parts.

The stud or lug 23 is provided at its upper end: with a' groove 26, adapted to beengagedf by a rib or flange 27 of the lockingrsp-ring.

The cylindrical: block It in- 3 forms to the configuration of the groove; but any other form of groove and rib or flange may be employed, as will be readily understood. The rib or flange preferably consists of a head or piece having a shank piercing the free end of the spring and suitably secured to the same.

The locking-spring is. secured at its inner end to the axle by one of the intermediate clips 28 thereof, and the spring, which is adapted: tol'ock the cap against rotation, is of sufficient length to prevent mud or other accumulation from freezing on the axle and interfering with the operation of the device.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

Inadevice of. theclass-described, the combination with an axle and an axle-bed having feed-passages, of a cup having an outlet com-- municating with the said passages, said cup 7 being provided with depending sidesaor arms 1 receive a. th-il lriron andi enlargedand provided 1 with openingsto form one member of athi ll coupling, clip-plates connecting the: sides or arms, and nuts mounted on thesides or arms,

and engaging the clip-plates;-

2'. In-adevice-of the-classdescri bed,.the com:-

bination with an axle having a feed passage,

of a cup mounted on the axle and havinga-n:

outlet communicating with the said passage,

a threaded cap engaging the" cup, and? a ]oek ing-spring secured to the axle and provided with means for engaging the cap for holding the same against rotation.

3. Inadevicezof th-eclass described, thecoms 1 bination with an axle having a. feed-passage, got a threaded lubricant-cup, a threaded cap f engaging the cup and: as spring disposed lon- I gitudinally of the axle and secured atone end to thesame and provided at itsno-ther end with means for engaging the-caaphfo-r holding the latter against rotation.

4. I-n-a device-of the classdescriibed, thecorn- Z bination of an axle havingaal u bri-cant passage; :a cup. having an outlet communicating with the passage and: provided: withw threads, a threaded cap engaging the cup and provided i with a projecting lug having a groove, and a spring mounted-on theaxle and provided' with a rib for engaging the groove to -loek the cap 3 against rotation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I. have heretoa-flixed my signature in the presence of two WHEDIGSSBSL.

IIO 

